“The door is locked!” Qin Yiniang looked at Cui’er in astonishment. “Who locked it? And why?”

“It was Linbo, the man at the Marquis’s side, who brought people to lock it,” Cui’er said, her expression carrying a note of fright. “He said the Fourth Young Master was frightened by someone, and that someone was seen running into the main rooms — they are going to search room by room.”

“Amitabha!” Qin Yiniang pressed her palms together at the words. “Who has brought this upon us? The Fourth Young Master has been frail since childhood — how could he withstand such a thing!” She then instructed Cui’er: “I am going to burn an incense stick to the Bodhisattva, to ask her blessing that the Fourth Young Master recovers quickly.”

Cui’er answered with a lingering shiver and moved a melon-shaped palace lantern into the warm inner room.

Qin Yiniang knelt reverently before the Goddess of Mercy, knocked her head three times, lit three sticks of incense, rose, and with Cui’er’s support went into the inner chamber.

“Did they say when they would search this courtyard of ours?”

“No,” Cui’er said in a low voice. “They only said to keep everyone inside and not go anywhere — someone will come and knock at the right time.”

Qin Yiniang nodded, yawned, and got into bed: “Then let us rest first. A clear conscience fears no midnight knock.”

Seeing that Qin Yiniang was unconcerned, Cui’er gradually calmed herself. Though she dutifully helped Qin Yiniang settle in for the night, she was after all a young girl with a natural abundance of curiosity — sleep eluded her entirely. She strained her ears, listening to the sounds outside.

Xiu Yuan also strained her ears, listening.

“Yiniang, they have gone farther off!” After a long while, she came back inside and reported to Qiao Lianfang.

Qiao Lianfang was sitting up in bed wrapped in her outer robe. At the news, her brow furrowed slightly: “Help me get dressed, then.”

Xiu Yuan paused.

“Since a search is to be made, they will inevitably enter the inner chamber as well,” Qiao Lianfang said. “It is better to be properly dressed and composed waiting for them than to be caught in a flustered rush and made a laughingstock.”

Xiu Yuan saw the logic in this, and called Zhu Rui in to help Qiao Lianfang comb her hair and change her clothes.

Qiao Lianfang sat before the dressing table, her expression somewhat blank.

“Yiniang, what are you thinking about?”

Ever since the day Madam Qiao had come and Qiao Lianfang had asked her to find a good match for Xiu Yuan, Xiu Yuan had felt the weight lift from her heart at last, and she had been considerably brighter in spirit.

“I was just thinking,” Qiao Lianfang said pensively, “that the words of Elder Daoist Changchun were truly prophetic.”

At the mention of Elder Daoist Changchun, Xiu Yuan’s thoughts went to the child Qiao Lianfang had lost, and her gaze unconsciously grew heavier.

“When all is said and done, there is no such thing in this world as perfection in all things,” Qiao Lianfang said, her expression carrying a distant quality. “Take the Fourth Young Master — people were hoping for his arrival before he was even born. Yet once he was born, he turned out to be frail and sickly. On top of that, the Marquis has only this one legitimate son — so everyone treats him with the utmost deference and care. But good fortune does not last: his birth mother passed away, and his aunt became his stepmother. Compared to a worse fate, this might even be counted a blessing in misfortune. And yet now he has been frightened without cause… As one can see, people are simply born into this world to suffer.” The tone was very matter-of-fact, yet the words that came out were deeply dispirited.

“Yiniang is not entirely right,” Xiu Yuan could only say with a smile. “The affairs of this world have always been a mingling of fortune and misfortune. Otherwise, what would be meant by the saying of the old man and his horse? Isn’t there an old saying — from great calamity, great fortune follows? I believe that once the Fourth Young Master passes through this trial, the road ahead will be wide and open…”

Qiao Lianfang said nothing, only glanced at Xiu Yuan speaking with such animation in the mirror, and smiled a faint smile.

Yang Shi set down the embroidery needle in her hand and reflected: “This method, though crude, is quite effective.” A flash of admiration crossed the depths of her eyes. “That Fourth Young Master has been physically frail since he was small — he gasps for breath after walking only a few extra steps. How could he withstand a shock like this? In my estimation, even if he preserves his life, his spirits will likely be somewhat enfeebled. When the time comes, as long as someone is careless in managing him and he causes some sort of trouble, the position of young master heir may well become too difficult to hold.”

“So you mean to say, even if the Fourth Young Master is saved, the boy is ruined?” Nanny Yang was rather dumbstruck. “Who would do such a wretched thing — to ruin a perfectly good child like this.”

Yang Shi let out a cold laugh: “If he is not ruined, how will anyone else’s child ever have a chance to rise?”

Nanny Yang’s conscience still sat uneasily with it, and she muttered under her breath: “Even so, surely it shouldn’t be done this way…”

Yang Shi covered her mouth and laughed.

“Enough of that talk!” She gave Nanny Yang her instructions. “Lay out the bed — I just have a few more stitches to finish and then I shall sleep as well.”

“Is that all right?” Nanny Yang hesitated. “If the people conducting the room search come while we are still lying in bed…”

“It will be fine!” Yang Shi lowered her head and picked up her needle again, continuing the flower petal she had not yet finished. “After they finish with the main rooms, it will be Wen Yiniang’s turn, then Qin Yiniang, then Qiao Yiniang… By the time they reach our rooms, it will likely be the middle of the night.”

Nanny Yang considered this and went to comply.

But Yang Shi set down her needlework, and murmured half to herself: “Aside from Madam herself, who else would know Zhun’er’s movements so precisely? And who else would be able to make those maidservants and matrons all act on her behalf?”

—

“I have thought it through carefully,” the Eleventh Young Lady said, resting her elbow on the arm of the chaise and propping her cheek on her hand, revealing a wrist adorned with a bracelet of vivid emerald green jadite. “This matter could not possibly have been premeditated. Forget the maidservants on the Grand Madam’s side — even those on our own side could not be directed by her. Furthermore, the distance from the Grand Madam’s back gate to the front gate of the late elder sister’s former residence is only a little over ten zhang. For a young maidservant to catch sight of things, then run to report, and then have someone dress up to frighten Zhun’er — the timing simply does not allow for it!”

Hupo’s eyes brightened at this: “Madam means she already knows who it is!”

“How would I know!” the Eleventh Young Lady laughed. “I am only reasoning from common sense.”

Hupo’s expression dimmed again.

The Eleventh Young Lady also sank into thought.

The young maidservant standing just outside the door then said carefully: “Madam, the physician has arrived.”

“Oh!” The Eleventh Young Lady, remembering that she had told Xu Lingyi the physician could take her pulse as well, indicated to Hupo to let down the floor-length drapery beside the partition screen. Behind the drape, she extended her wrist for her pulse to be read.

“Madam’s pulse is strong — she should be quite all right.”

The Eleventh Young Lady immediately recognized the voice as that of Imperial Physician Liu. She said quietly: “How is the young master’s condition?”

“Madam need not worry — it is simply an extreme case of fright. With the sleeping incense lit and a few doses of calming medicines, along with some gradual recuperation, he will be fully recovered.”

The Eleventh Young Lady breathed a sigh of relief, saw Imperial Physician Liu out, and then lay down: “Call me when the Marquis returns — I shall sleep a little now. I’ve been up through the night and the nausea will come again soon.”

Hupo answered in agreement, turned down the lamp wick, and sat beside the Eleventh Young Lady to keep watch as she slept.

In the western side room — the Grand Madam’s inner chamber.

Nanny Du turned down the lamp wick and walked to the edge of the platform bed.

After the medicine had been administered and the sleeping incense lit, Xu Sizhun had fallen into a deep, settled sleep.

The Grand Madam gazed at him with tender affection, stroking his brow, and quietly instructed Nanny Du: “Go and see how Eleventh Young Lady is doing now.”

Nanny Du softly answered and was just turning to go when the Fifth Madam hurried in.

“Mother, how could this have happened?” she said with anxious urgency. “I have gone through my own quarters — aside from two women playing cards at the night watch station, everyone else is present and no one went out.” Then she asked about the Eleventh Young Lady: “Where is Fourth Elder Sister-in-law? Why don’t I see her?”

Xu Lingkuan had asked the Fifth Madam to go through her own quarters more as a precaution than anything else; the Grand Madam did not truly expect any discovery to come from there.

“She is resting in the eastern alcove.” The Grand Madam described what had happened: “…She was inadvertently kicked in the stomach by Zhun’er — but fortunately the imperial physician says there is nothing wrong.”

“This really is a fortunate escape within great misfortune,” the Fifth Madam said, breaking into a cold sweat as she heard it. “Otherwise the household would have been thrown into complete chaos.”

“Quite so — if something had happened to Eleventh Young Lady…” The Grand Madam stopped herself mid-sentence, and a look of quiet contemplation came over her face.

The Fifth Madam had caught the implication as well.

If something should go wrong with Zhun’er, and the Eleventh Young Lady were to lose the child at the same time, then the legitimate line of the Yongping Marquis household would be entirely wiped out.

She studied the Grand Madam’s somewhat somber expression, and was turning over what cheerful words might lift her spirits when the Grand Madam suddenly said: “The Fourth and Fifth Masters are both here. Xin’er is home alone — you should go back early.”

After all, this was the fourth household’s unseemly affair; it was only natural the Grand Madam did not wish her to know too much.

The Fifth Madam answered with respectful compliance and withdrew.

Outside, the fine rain had started again, its threads falling thick and dense in the lamplight, like embroidery needles dropping one by one.

Wasn’t she always said to be unwell? How is it that after being kicked once, she is perfectly fine… By rights, the Eleventh Young Lady is with child, and no one yet knows whether it is a boy or girl — she would not move against Zhun’er for the moment. Yet the affairs of this world so often take one by surprise, leaving one caught off guard and thrown off position…

Her thoughts drifting, the Fifth Madam’s steps gradually slowed.

The maidservant Heye, holding the umbrella, did not know where her mistress wished to go. Seeing the rain mist drifting in and wetting the Fifth Madam’s skirt hem, she said softly: “Madam, where are we going?”

The Fifth Madam’s expression brightened. She lifted her eyes and glimpsed the lush green bamboo swaying beyond the decorative wall.

“To Second Sister-in-law’s!” At this hour, she greatly wished to speak with someone.

“Yes!” Heye answered, and together with the Fifth Madam they made their way to the Second Madam’s chambers.

The Second Madam had not yet retired. She was bent over her desk writing something, and hearing that the Fifth Madam had come to call, she could not conceal her surprise. She received the Fifth Madam in her sitting room.

“Second Elder Sister-in-law, there is something you may not yet know.” The Fifth Madam told her everything she knew. “…What do you think? With such a grave matter happening in the fourth household, how should we sisters-in-law conduct ourselves when we meet tomorrow?”

“Family disgrace must not be spread abroad,” the Second Madam said. After the initial look of surprise when she first heard that Xu Sizhun had been frightened, she had maintained a detached and composed manner throughout. “Though it is called the fourth household’s affair, it is no less yours or mine. We shall simply follow the Grand Madam’s lead in all things.”

The Fifth Madam was not satisfied by this answer, but seeing the Second Madam’s demeanor suggest she wished to say no more, she made a few brief remarks and rose to take her leave.

Jie Xiang saw the Fifth Madam out. The Second Madam sat composed for quite some time before returning to her study.

“Madam, you should retire for the night,” Jie Xiang urged her. “The Grand Madam is sure to summon you first thing in the morning.”

Only then did the Second Madam set down her brush.

Jie Xiang helped the Second Madam wash and prepare for bed, but hesitated several times, clearly on the verge of saying something.

“What is it?” the Second Madam finally asked directly.

Jie Xiang still deliberated for a good while before saying: “Second Madam, do you think — is the Marquis now suspecting the Fourth Madam?”

“Suspecting the Fourth Madam?” The Second Madam laughed at this. “Whatever made you think the Marquis was suspecting the Fourth Madam?” Then she gave Jie Xiang a long, meaningful look. “If the Marquis suspected nothing and investigated nothing, then he truly would be suspecting the Fourth Madam.”

—